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The Starting Weapon (Episode Oracle)
250px |episode number = 4 |JP Air Date = October 28, 2019 |USA Air Date = October 28, 2019 |opening theme = Destiny |ending theme = Timeless Fortune |previous episode title = Perfect ARKS (Episode Oracle) |next episode title = Falspawn Full Assault (Episode Oracle) }} The Starting Weapon is the fourth episode of the Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode Oracle series. It aired on October 28, 2019 on Japanese television networks, and was simulcast by Funimation with English subtitles on the same day for the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland audiences. Plot 'Opening Sequence: Oracle' Within his chambers, a man communicates with a female. He is pleased to learn that Ash, Afin, and Matoi have discovered the grave monument in the ruinscape on Naverius, and commands the female to continue carefully observing their movements. After the call is disconnected, the man mutters to himself condescendingly, "Xion... This scenario of yours is so truly fitting, it's almost cruel." 'Quest Clear' Back on Naverius' tundra, Afin is braving a harsh blizzard by himself, yelling to his partner to stop hiding from him. Ash had found Matoi safe and sound, and then sent coordinates to the newman to meet up at the summit but then the two disappeared before his very eyes. Suddenly, Ash steps forward from beyond the ruinscape's cloaking field and calls to Afin. The newman turns to find Ash carrying Matoi in his arms, with the latter sleeping soundly. Matoi, disoriented, wakes up and Ash explains to her that she fainted on top of the mountain. She stares off into the distance, sadly telling her comrades that she does not remember anything that happened there. Ash drifts off into a memory from the ruinscape when he was talking to Maria. For forty years the ARKS have ignored the threat of Dark Falz, and so he plainly asks the cast why she is fine with just now telling a rookie all of this sensitive information that is thus far unknown to the general public. He threatens that he may tell everyone, to which Maria says she will not stop him. She then poses a question to the young man, asking how he intends to live his life as an ARKS. Remaining silent, Maria continues, saying that this is a question that only he can answer. Matoi becomes embarrassed that Ash has been holding her despite her being wide awake this whole time. She hesitantly begins to mumble to Ash when he comes back to his senses. He apologizes and lets her down to her feet. Ash reminds all of them that they have orders to return, so the three begin walking through the snow in search of a wide field, preferably in the forest area, outside of the storm to return back to the ship. As they walk, Ash sees something in the distance and runs to investigate, insisting that his comrades to continue without him for now. Matoi calls to him while Afin, still reeling from the events earlier in the day, mindlessly asks if Ash has to answer nature's call. Matoi looks at Afin with an expression best described as annoyance mixed with awkwardness. After some searching, Ash notices the faint outline of a person watching him on a snowy ledge. Upon asking if someone is there, the person removes her camouflage, telling him that she is surprised he was able to see through her cloaking. Although admiring his perceptiveness, she refuses to answer his questions of whether she is apart of the ARKS or if she has been watching them. She then demands information from Ash, asking what he knows about rampaging dragons. He hesitates, remembering what Kohana told him back then, and then tells the mysterious woman that he has heard rumors that rampaging dragons eat ARKS but has never seen one himself. With a look of sadness, the woman accepts his answer but informs him that their conversation is now over. She commands him to forget that he ever saw her in this place and then, reactivating her cloaking, disappears. Matoi and Afin are sitting next to each other in silence, waiting eagerly for their comrade to join them. Matoi then catches sight of Ash approaching and stands up in joy. As Ash gets closer, Afin humorously asks him if he feels any better to which Ash, who is not quite following that his friend is talking about bathroom matters, says that he is not. Afin then tells Ash he may need to get that looked at. 'Dining Out at Franka's Cafe' Now that they have returned to the ARKS Ship following their perilous adventures on the unsettling planet Naverius, the three decide to enjoy a brief respite and treat themselves to a nice meal at Franka's Cafe. Their waitress is a young woman named Ulc, who serves Ash his tomato salad and Matoi's pasta and soup combo but appears to have forgotten Afin's grilled fish platter. Checking their order, she apologizes and worriedly runs to the back to bring out the food. As they wait, the trio admire the concert playing on the monitors. The idol performing is Quna, the super popular poster girl for ARKS that is well-known by everyone who is anyone. She addresses the crowd with excitement, hyping them up until the very last song. Although he has never heard of her, Ash looks at her face and feels as if he knows her from somewhere but cannot place it. Ulc, overhearing their conversation about being rookie members of ARKS, returns to their table with Afin's meal and comments that she is jealous. She reveals that she will soon join the training class despite having low photon aptitude, but is determined to make up for it with hard work and passion. She then asks if the trio knows Theodore, a childhood friend of hers who she calls Theo that joined ARKS without her. Although none of them know him, she asks if they could pass the word along that she will catch up him in no time. Afin listens to her stories and begins to develop a crush on the charming woman. 'The Key' Returning to the medical center, Ash and Matoi relentlessly quip with Afin after noticing his not-so-subtle crush on Ulc. Afin, embarrassed, cannot believe that Matoi joined in the joking, to which she cheekily smiles. As they walk toward Matoi's room, Ash hears a voice echoing in his head, telling him that he and Matoi draw closer to the junction of a new relationship. Ash turns around and sees Xion standing in the middle of the empty hallway. She raises her glimmering blue arm and reveals a vision that only Ash can see. In the tundra there is a cave. She reveals that the Starting Weapon is the key to this future event, and so he must seek it out by returning once more to Naverius' surface. Afin calls out to Ash, asking him what he is doing. Ash begins to explain but then notices that Xion is gone. Suddenly, Ash and Afin receive an emergency notice from control, stating that falspawn have appeared on Naverius' tundra and all ARKS are to head to the area at once. Ash tells Matoi to wait in her room while they head for the campship. 'Battle in the Tundra' On the surface, an epic war has broken out between ARKS and the falspawn. Although just as deadly, unlike before, some falspawn creatures withstand the barrage of bullets and blades. As a Gu Wonda threatens to slam its shield-like arm onto Afin, Ash finds the creature's weak point and slices the monster in half. He then takes a breather while Afin provides cover fire with his rifle to stall the unending horde. Meanwhile, above on a snowy hill, Gettemhult and Melfonseana watch as the rookies struggle. Gettemhult urges Seana to not become involved since it is better for weaklings to die sooner rather than later. Before departing, Gettemhult takes one more good look at the fight and mutters that they are lucky, which takes Seana by surprise. Back in the heart of the fight, Afin and Ash's losing struggle is suddenly assisted by a skilled newman Gunner named Takura, who single-handedly disposes of a a number of falspawn with only his twin machine guns. Aiming front, back, to his sides, and several shots behind, he effortlessly creates some breathing room for the team as the enemy army's numbers begin to dwindle. A feeble newman Force begs Takura to help him, but he ignores the rookie and continues assisting the duo with their fight. Afin asks him if he should be helping the young man instead, but he tells them to watch. At that moment, the young Force finds the strength to conjure powerful zonde techniques, annihilating an entire fleet of dagans in an instant. Takura explains that the young newman is a gifted cadet with skills that are only seen once every hundred years. Just as they prepare themselves mentally and physically for the next wave, they are caught by surprise by a dimensional crack that extends out into the sky. Suddenly, a creature emerges, leaping onto the field and uttering a screeching shriek. It resembles a skeletal white dragon with red eyes, a glowing blue chest and rigid spines. Its arms and legs are a grim shade of blood red. The monster hungrily conjures a gravitational void that sucks in the entire remaining falspawn army, effortlessly shaping them into a fleshy orb. Once it has amassed a sizeable number, the monster slams its sharp claws into the falspawn, causing blood to gush out. It then devours the hell spawn. The rookies stare at the bizarre scene, confounded. Takura, captivated by the creature, utters out that the monster is the rampaging dragon that the rumors have spoken of. As he stares at the dragon, it finishes its meal and takes notice of his presence. It stares him down and then quickly snaps at his body, eating him in a single bite with only a bloody puddle and a pair of machine guns remaining as evidence that the men had once walked the earth. With Takura out of the way, the dragon then looks at Ash and Afin. The two rookies stare at it uneasily. After a pause, the monster decides to flee into the rift from which it came. The woman with the cloaking ability that Ash had met previously has been watching the events unfold and reveals that the creature has a name: Haddred. The young Force, revealed to be Ulc's childhood friend Theodore, observes the bloody mess of his former mentor in disbelief. He grabs one of the guns, uttering that it really does not take much for someone to die. Afin, angry, condemns Theodore for speaking of the dead that way, but the young Force asks for leniency since there is not even a corpse left behind to allow the situation to be fully taken in. Thedore continues, saying he never liked the aspect of ARKS being selfless and putting their lives in danger, mentioning that he has never been fond of fighting or war. Afin, visibly irritated, asks why he even joined ARKS in the first place. Theodore informs them that that he applied with his friend Ulc but, since she lacked photon aptitude, he was selected over her. The duo tells the Force that they met Ulc at Franka's Cafe back on the ship and mentions how excited she has been about finally joining. Shaken by the revelation, Theodore tells them that he cannot be happy for her after what happened to someone like Takura. He then says to them that he was against her joining to begin with. Ash advises the young man that it may be better for him to tell Ulc himself his true feelings about it if it bothers him. He tells them he will consider the suggestion and then departs for his campship. 'The Starting Weapon: Clarissa' Afin muses with Ash, wondering what Ulc sees in someone like Theodore, a man with talent yet lacks the drive to truly shine. As he is about to answer, Ash's attention is drawn to the scenery behind his comrade. There is a cave with a distinctive opening similar to that seen in the vision Xion gave him back at the medical center. Ash wordlessly proceeds into the cave with Afin following close behind. Elsewhere, Matoi is in her room staring longingly out her window into the sea of stars that is space. As she loses herself in thought, a reflection in the window catches her attention. It appears to be the form of the woman Xion, who previously has only shown herself to Ash, standing behind her. She glances back into the room, but finds that no one is there. As the duo reach the inner part of the cave, they come across a giant floating crystal that emits a blue glow, slowly spinning in place undisturbed. Just as Ash reaches his arm out to touch the mysterious object, it glows brightly and transforms into a large white staff. He remembers Xion's words that the Starting Weapon is the key to the event with Matoi that will trigger a domino effect into the future. Ash grabs the rod and the two make their way back to the ARKS ship. Off in the distance unknown to the two, the camouflaged woman from before has been observing their movements and informs her client that the observation target, Ash, has touched and recovered the object in the cave. It is revealed that she was the one speaking with the man at the beginning of the episode. He tells her that he will allow the rookies to live, and that they should be left to their own devices for now. The man laughs, and then messages Gettemhult and Melfonseana anonymously, informing them of an item with infinite power. Gettemhult becomes excited by the prospect and, despite not knowing the intentions or nature of the sender, accepts the offer. He then charges off on his mission with Seana chasing after him. Back on the ship in Matoi's room, Ash shows Matoi the staff, saying that he found it on Naverius and that it somehow connects them together. He gently asks her if she recognizes it. Matoi looks at the staff and says she does not know but she feels scared. Just as Afin is about to tell Ash that they should back off, Matoi reaches out and touches the staff, which causes it to glow just as the crystal did in the cave. Its bright shades bring back a memory to the young lady in which she has been brutally impaled by the sword of the masked man. Stunned, confused, and saddened, Matoi collapses to the ground overwhelmed. Just as she falls, so too does the staff with a soft clank as it rebounds off the floor. Ash quickly goes to Matoi's aid and the three are left baffled in wordless silence. 'Themis' Retired Swordsmith, Jig' Determined to find more information about this mysterious staff, Ash and Afin head to the shopping district and speak to the weapons clerk. He attempts to appraise the weapon, but cannot deduce anything else beyond that it is ancient. The clerk then informs the duo that he unfortunately specializes in the latest equipment, but refers the two to seek out Jig, a talented yet retired swordsmith on Themis Ship 128 that may be able to discern more from the antique... if they can survive his temper. Ash and Afin walk in the decrepit city on the way to Jig's workshop when they overhear a commotion coming from their destination. A wily old man is throwing tools at prospects, yelling at them that he is retired from his former line of work and commands them to leave or he will beat them. As Ash and Afin enter his shop, Jig threatens the duo, assuming they were the youngsters bothering him from before, but finds that they are not. Afin attempts to quietly leave when Ash grabs him by the shoulder. Unfazed, Ash asks Jig if he can appraise the staff that he found on Naverius. Although Jig initially declines, he becomes enraptured when he sees the bizarre yet superb workmanship that went into the weapon. He informs the two that he cannot tell them much yet, but, if they can repair it and restore its normal functions they may be able to learn more. Feeling more alive than he has felt in ages, Jig earnestly tells the rookies that he will help them and accepts the job of repairing the weapon for them. As they leave the inner city and approach the gate area, a young woman calls out to the rookies. They turn around to find Ulc in an ARKS trainee uniform. She tells the team that she is assigned to Themis for her training course. Happy for her success, Ash informs her that they met Theodore and Afin assures her that he is doing well. Inspired by the ARKS bringing peace to the universe, Ulc passionately tells her new friends and coworkers that she will do her best. 'The End of a Long Day' In his room, Ash relaxes on his bed, reviewing the events of the day. He remembers the young lady Ulc, an unfortunate soul lacking in photon aptitude destined for failure but strives to succeed anyway through sheer hard work; Jig, the formerly retired swordsmith on Themis that initially attempted to distance himself from his old work but became inspired by the mysterious staff from Naverius; Maria, who posed the question asking how Ash intends to live his life as a member of ARKS. Ash stares intently at his necklace but is snapped out of his thoughts when he is suddenly alerted to an emergency notice: Falspawn have appeared on Ship 128, Themis. The notice repeats itself once more and then commands all ARKS to head to the affected area. Ash jumps out of his bed and charges into the battle waiting for him ahead. Trivia *Throughout the episode, there is a running gag with Afin talking about bathroom matters. *Based on context, Starting Weapon appears to be the localized name of a Genesis Weapon. *The localized name for the rampaging dragon is Haddred. *Although the subtitles in the episode spell her name as Ulc, the video's description writes her name as "Ulku." Gallery : ''The Phantasy Star wiki has an extensive image gallery for this episode. '' Category:Phantasy Star Online 2 Episode Oracle